Thegentlemen
of June 3, who after 1905 helped Nicholas Romanov drench our
country in blood, strangle the revolutionaries and re-establish
the unlimited power of the land owners and capitalists, are
holding their meetings simultaneously with the Congress of
Soviets.[2]

While Tsereteli, who found himself in bourgeois captivity, tried
by a thousand tricks to hush up the vital importance and urgency
of the political question of an immediate offensive, the
diehards of June 3, companions-in-arms of Nicholas the Bloody
and Stolypin the Hangman, landowners and capitalists, did not
hesitate to put the question straight forwardly and openly. Here
is the latest and most essential resolution on the offensive
which they adopted unanimously:

“The Duma (??) considers that only an immediate
offensive and close co-operation with the Allies will guarantee a
speedy termination of the war and consolidation of the liberties
won by the people.”

These people are real politicians, men of action, faithful
servants of their class, of the landowners and
capitalists.

And how do Tsereteli, Chernov and the rest serve their
class? They offer pious wishes in words and support the
capitalists in actions.

Tsereteli asserted that the question of an immediate
offensive could not even be raised, for were he, Minister
Tsereteli. to know anything about an “immediate” offensive, he,
a Minister, would say nothing about it to anyone. In saying
that, Tsereteli had no inkling (poor innocent man) that he was
refuted by the diehards of June 3, refuted by
actions, for they did not hesitate to speak, even in a
resolution, and in everyone’s hearing, about an offensive—not an offensive in general, but an immediate
offensive. And they were right, for this is a political issue,
an issue bearing on the destiny of our revolution as a whole.

There is no middle course. You must either be for or against an
"immediate offensive". You cannot abstain from expressing an
opinion. In this situation, to evade the issue by referring or
alluding to military secrecy would be positively unworthy of a
responsible politician.

To favour an immediate offensive means being in favour of
continuing the imperialist war, slaughtering Russian workers and
peasants in order to strangle Persia, Greece, Galicia, the Balkan
peoples, etc., reviving and strengthening the counter-revolution,
completely nullifying all the phrases about "peace without
annexations", and waging war for annexations.

To be against an immediate offensive means being in favour of
all power passing to the Soviets, of arousing the revolutionary
initiative of the oppressed classes, of an immediate
offer by the oppressed classes of all countries of "peace
without annexations", peace based on the precise condition of
overthrowing the tyranny of capital and liberating all
colonies, all the oppressed nationalities, or
nationalities not enjoying full rights, bar none.

The former way is, together with the capitalists, in the
interests of the capitalists and for attaining the aims of the
capitalists. It is the way of confidence in the capitalists, who
for more than two years have been promising everything under the
sun and many things besides, provided the war is “carried on to
victory".

The latter way is one of breaking with the capitalists, of
distrusting them, of curbing their vile self-interest, of
putting an end to their business of making hundreds of millions
in profits from contracts. It is the way of confidence in the
oppressed classes, primarily in the workers of all
countries, the way of confidence in a world workers’
revolution against capital, the way of supporting it in
full measure.

You must choose the one or the other. Tsereteli, Chernov and
the rest prefer a middle course. But there is no middle course. If
they vacillate or try to get away with mere talk, they, Tsereteli,
Chernov and the rest, will completely make themselves tools in the
hands of the counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie.

Notes

[1]In Russian political writing, the term diehards was applied to the
extreme Right wing of the reactionary landowners.

[2]The term “gentle men of June 3” applies to the bourgeois and
landowner parties (Right-wing, Octobrist and Cadet) which won a vast
superiority in the Third and Fourth Dumas under the
counter-revolutionary electoral law passed by the tsarist government on
June 3 (16), 1907. The law curtailed the already limited suffrage
of the workers and peasants.

The June 3 parties periodically held so-called private meetings
of Deputies to the Fourth Duma. One of these meetings took place
on June 3 (16), 1917, that is, the day the All-Russia Congress of
Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies was convened. This
was not mere coincidence, for the counter-revolutionary parties
of the Russian bourgeoisie and landowners were trying to exert
political pressure on the petty-bourgeois conciliators, the
Mensheviks and S.R.s, who commanded a majority at the Congress.

Among the items, the meeting discussed foreign policy matters.
It was addressed by V. A. Maklakov, P. N. Milyukov, V. V.
Shulgin and other Octobrist and Cadet leaders. They insisted on the
vigorous fulfilment of commitments in respect of the Allies and
on putting an end to the revolution. The resolution adopted by
the meeting said as much.